Francis Barrington


Sir Francis Barrington, 1st Baronet of Barrington Hall, Essex was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons in two periods between 1601 and 1628.

Life

Barrington was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Barrington of Hatfield Broad Oak, Essex and his second wife Winifred Pole, youngest daughter of the 1st Baron Montagu. He was educated at Cambridge University.
In 1601, Barrington was elected Member of Parliament for Essex. He was knighted on 7 May 1603 on the accession of King James I of England at Theobalds House, Hertfordshire,
Barrington had written in April 1603 for advice on clothes to meet the new king in April 1603. His tailor Edward Shaw in London heard that most gentlemen would wear black satin, velvet, or stuff costume for first meeting the king. For the coronation people were ordering white satin or ash colour clothes, heavily embroidered, and the cost of embroidery work had risen. Gold lacing would be cheaper alternative.
In 1604 he was re-elected MP for Essex. He was called to the bar by Gray's Inn on 19 March 1605 or 1606. On 29 June 1611, he was made a baronet, of Barrington Hall, in Hatfield Broadoak, County Essex, in the newly erected Baronetage of England.
In 1621 Barrington was elected MP for Essex again. He was re-elected in 1624, 1625, 1626 and 1628 and sat until his death in 1628.

Marriage and issue

Barrington married Joan Cromwell, who died around 1641 with will probated on 14 December 1641, daughter of Sir Henry Cromwell and was therefore uncle by marriage to the future Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell. They had nine children, four sons and five daughters. Barrington was succeeded in the baronetcy by his oldest son Thomas. Robert Barrington became an MP for Newtown.